Category Archives: My 3 Sons

Jesus is a Waymaker

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Jesus is a Waymaker.

The night I brought my first newborn home from the hospital I rocked him to sleep. And I sang. Rocking away in that uncomfortable chair, not a care in the world (as long as he wasn’t screaming) and singing Jesus Loves Me or the morbid lullaby, Rockabye Baby in the Treetop. As time went on, I began to widen my repertoire and sang songs that I created impromptu. Somehow, silly as they were, I could make them rhyme and even though they were not going to make it into a Dr. Seuss book OR a Dr. Spock instruction manual, My Three Sons loved them.

Fast forward 35 years and enter Norah Jayne. The very first time I was able to rock her to sleep? I sang. What came out were old choruses from church services gone by. I am a huge fan of the “new” worship songs, can sing along with KLove like nobody’s business but when I sit in that rocking chair, Jesus is a Waymaker.

If you have never heard it, the lyrics are:

Jesus, He is a Waymaker
Jesus, He is a Waymaker
Jesus, He is a Waymaker
One day, He made a way for me
One day, when I was lost in sin
One day, Jesus took me in
One day, He made a way for me

The tune is upbeat and catchy and it has become Norah’s favorite. I used to go into an entire medley of old choruses, from Isn’t He Wonderful, I Call Him Jesus, My Rock, When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me….you get the idea. But as Norah grew from a few weeks old to a couple of months, she became particular. She wanted one song and one song only and that was Jesus is a Waymaker. It has become such a part of the two of us that, if she is fussing, I can start singing that song and she will immediately calm down and go to sleep.

(Btw, I can sing this song even in the middle of the Dixie Stampede pre-show and Norah will go to sleep!)

It is true that Norah doesn’t know much about Jesus making a way for me, you or anyone else. She doesn’t realize that she is a miracle sent from Heaven and only Jesus could have made a way. This sweet baby isn’t aware of the many times God has answered other prayers right on time. Norah has never read the Word, hasn’t prayed a prayer and doesn’t understand the word, Hallelujah. Until she is old enough to comprehend, she just takes comfort in the Name that her mommy, daddy and grandmothers sing about and the peace and serenity it brings to her every single time.

Jesus is a Waymaker

You see, Jesus IS a Waymaker whether we can see it or not, whether we feel it or not. Even when we don’t understand the reason a family member is suffering, our prayers don’t seem to be answered, the bills have all come due at once, the kids are sick, the tensions are high even in a home where God is first…He is still a Waymaker.

When we find ourselves in those difficult seasons, we need to follow the pattern that this old song has set. First, it DECLARES that Jesus is our deliverer, the way-out-of-the-way, the One who can make clear the path for us. Then, like most great songs, it REPEATS the declaration, not once but two more times! We must remind ourselves WHO it is that CAN make things better, that can deliver us and we must declare it. Once we have done that, we then begin to REPEAT it and remind ourselves of that Truth!

Then the chorus tells WHY we know He is a Waymaker…because one day He made a way for ME. Begin to LIST the times that He has showed up with an answer. DEFINE it! Remember the other prayers He has answered and how it was done.  Play it over in your mind and give God praise for it. The chorus ends with the same declaration, that it was for ME, so DECLARE it again.

Declare it.

Repeat it.

Define it.

Declare it again.

If you have something in your life today that is impossible for man, take it to The Waymaker. Sing this old song if you know the tune, or make up your own, and begin to declare the promises of God while remembering what He has already done for you!

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude 1:20,21

It is not only our job to teach our little ones that Jesus will be their Deliverer, Savior, Friend, and Ever-Present-Help-in-Trouble, but we must remind OURSELVES and EACH OTHER that He is STILL a Waymaker, making a way for all of us. So, tomorrow, when something impossible comes against you…

Declare it. Let your spirit know that Jesus is God!

Repeat it. Say it a couple more times and with authority.

Define it. List the things He has done for you or others in the past, building up your faith.

Declare it again! The more we say it, the more we believe it and nothing shall be impossible, according to His will and in His perfect timing.

Do you have a favorite lullaby or song that you sang to your children or to your grandchildren? How are you influencing them for the Kingdom? Share with our community of friends! I found a Gaither version of the song that is very similar to the one I sing to Norah. I didn’t know it had verses and the middle is a little different but the tune is the same. Enjoy! 

For the Kingdom

 

Sharing with Amaze Me Monday, Modest Monday

Saying, “Goodbye” to our Small Town

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How lucky I am to have something that makes saying, “Goodbye” so hard.    ~ Winnie the Pooh

Saying, “Goodbye” to our Small Town…

Life has a funny way of taking you down twists and turns, stopping, staying a while and then starting all over again.

I was born in a small town. (Hey, we Hoosiers can say that all we want since Mellencamp lives in our small town!) I love this college town even when the traffic is insane and the lines at Target are long; it’s my hometown. I’ve been a Skibo, a Bulldog, a Panther and a Hoosier, proud of each one even when I have to explain the first and last to others who weren’t born here.

A Hoosier bleeds red and white and eats, sleeps and breathes basketball; the loyalty never leaves them even if they locate elsewhere. (Claim to fame: Have I mentioned that I was an extra in the Gene Hackman movie, Hoosiers? If you look real close in the final basketball game you probably won’t see me but I was there screaming just as loud as anyone for Hickory High.)

Memories are down every road, past every landmark and in every face. I grew up here, fell in love here, had two of My Three Sons here and met Jesus here in this Small Town. In 1985, we moved away the first time to Indianapolis where The Sweetheart began his career as an air traffic controller with the FAA. In 1995 we moved back to Bloomington and to the farm where The Sweetheart grew up. It was a great place to raise boys and we loved it. But then in 2001, the Lord called us into full time ministry and we moved again to Ohio and then to Missouri to pastor. In 2010 our lives took another twist and turn as we left everything we had ever known, sold almost everything we had and flew to lands unknown on our first missionary journey.

small town

We assumed we would be overseas a long, long time but only God knows what is behind every open door and He decides when it is time to close one and open another. So in 2012 we came back to this Small Town to continue our ministry with Revival By Design, traveling around the country on the weekends. We have been living in the mother-in-law suite of my mother-in-law’s home for the last four years, (how is that for a twist!) and caring for her physically as she deals with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

It has not been an easy decision to come to this point and say that we are pulling up stakes and moving again. Anyone who knows me is aware that I have ALWAYS wanted to live in the eastern mountains of Tennessee. Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of actually calling the Smokies home. Then little things happen.

norah jayne

Yeah, this little thing lives on the other side of the Volunteer State and we want to be a part of her life. As a family, we have waited a long, long time for this blessing that has turned all of our lives upside down and we couldn’t be any happier. Norah will have her Nana and Poppy right down the road and her Nanny, Rachel’s mother, Tonya, moved just around the corner a year ago. We want Norah to be spoiled by her grandparents and I am thrilled to get to babysit a couple days a week as well. Who wouldn’t want to snuggle that little bundle all day?! Tonya calls it living in Norah-Norah-Land!

With Goodbye’s come thank-you’s. I want to thank The Sweetheart’s family for stepping up to take over the care of my MIL. It is no easy task to care for an aging parent, especially when their mind is struggling to keep up. Thank you in advance to my sisters-in-law for all the responsibility you will be taking upon your shoulders.

Our church family at Turning Point has been amazing. We will miss you more than you know! Pastors Ron and Cindy Hawkins are simply first class and we will forever be indebted to them for giving us a place to land and feel at home for the last few years.

To Kristopher and Korey: thank you so much for allowing us to leave again and not making us feel guilty. And thank you a thousand times for helping us last night with The Move. Your patience with the two of us was inspiring. Remember, Eisley has a place to stay at our house!

I don’t see my parents or siblings as often as I would like to but appreciate knowing they are close by. Thank you all for being there for us these last few years.

No I cannot forget where it is that I come from
I cannot forget the people who love me
Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town
And people let me be just what I want to be

That’s the great thing about small towns, you take a part of it with you no matter where you go. I love all of my friends here and the good thing is that nothing else changes, we will still meet here on the blog, still follow one another on social media and still encourage each other in the hard times and rejoice with each other in the good.

Pray for us today as we travel and get settled. Look out Norah, here we come!

nana

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When you stand up to the bully…

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Another of My Three Sons is the guest writer on the blog today! Korey Elkins is the youngest, this year they will turn 25, 30 and 35! Where does the time go? So proud of Korey and what he is doing for the kingdom. He was with us in Latvia for a while as the worship leader, singing on the streets of Riga to win souls, as you see in this first picture

and then he was in Scotland and Ireland for several weeks helping missionaries there

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and finally, just this past December, he went with us to Haiti and was greatly impacted by the work there.

But every Sunday, you will find him singing and playing his guitar at his home church in Fishers. Enjoy and be encouraged by this post.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

There are so many adjectives used to describe God:

  • Creator
  • Healer
  • King of Kings
  • Son
  • Messiah
  • Protector
  • Alpha
  • Omega
  • Savior
  • Lord of Lords

The list is longer than we can ever imagine. One of the words I love to describe Him as is Father. The thought that the One who created the universe, sustains life and holds the stars in place is also the one who cares about my day to day life, is astounding to me.

And the fact that He calls me His son is mind-blowing.

The verse from Isaiah 41:10 is a verse that has stuck with me ever since I heard it on the Christian radio show, Adventures In Odyssey. There’s a boy who is being bullied on his way home from school everyday and is eventually too terrified to leave school because of it. Whit, the city’s sage, Christian counselor, gives him some advice and tells him to repeat this verse as he walks home. He does this and as he confronts the bully, the verse gives him confidence to stand up to her and keep walking.

When you stand up to the bully

I love this simple message from God because it’s such an accurate depiction of how a Father encourages His children.

  • Why would we fear when God is always with us?
  • Why would we let anxiety control our lives when He is our God?
  • Why do we let ourselves be weakened and destroyed by lusts, addictions and doubts when He is our strength, our help and our righteousness?

Our God is for us! “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31.

One of the most important parts of Isaiah 41:10 is His mentioning of His “righteous right hand”. The idea of the right hand is mentioned many times in the Bible. The right hand is significant because it indicates someone who has the highest rank, just under the King. It’s someone who stands next to the King and matters the most to him. Most scriptures reference Jesus as now being seated at the right hand of God. “…Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God…” 1 Peter 3: 21-22.

For me, I think this could also be saying just how important we are, as His sons and daughters. By holding us up with that right hand of righteousness, we are exalted to that higher level. We matter the most to Him. And that’s why we are pursued so relentlessly by God.

Keep this verse with you when times get dark and heavy.

How small are your fears, anxieties, weaknesses and failures compared to your worth in Christ!

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Let yourself be restored by His righteous right hand. Don’t fear. He is with you.

Korey Elkins is the Worship Director at Life Connections Church in Fishers, Indiana. His love of music of all genres is evident in his everyday life but his love for worship trumps them all. Korey began playing guitar at the age of 14 and leading worship with it hanging around his neck at the age of 16. He is a student of graphic design and loves, or lives, to cook for others. If you are blessed to sit down at his table you will leave happy and full.